SONOS AMP ANNOUNCED WITH HINTS OF OUTDOOR AND IN-WALL MUSIC

11th February, 2019

It looks like Sonos is already preparing for barbecue season as their new Amp points to the arrival of in-ceiling, in-wall and outdoor speakers.

The new 125W per channel Sonos amp is up for pre-order with a Valentines Day delivery date.

At £599, the Sonos Amp is a bit more spendy than the outgoing Connect:Amp, however the new kid on the block also has some extra skills over the old guard.

Firstly the Sonos Amp features a stereo analogue input that enables you to hook up another audio source - a turntable (with phono amp) or CD player, for instance. Secondly, the HDMI connection with ARC support gives the Amp Sonos Beam-like TV skills such as sensing when the TV is on and switching automagically to playing the telly's sounds. Furthermore, HDMI-CEC means the whole thing is controllable via your TV's original remote, too.

Additionally, two Amps can be combined to create a 4.0 (or, with the addition of a wired subwoofer or wireless Sonos Sub, 4.1) system with a phantom centre channel. Why not draft in a pair of Sonos Ones, Play:1s, Play:3s or Play:5s to use as satellites, just as you can with a Playbar, Playbase or Beam?

Naturally, the Amp also does all the clever Sonos-y multi-zone music streaming stuff via the app or voice command - the latter requires an Alexa or iOS device as the Amp is mic-less.

The in-ceiling and in-wall speakers can activate Trueplay calibration software which measures the size, construction, and furnishings of the room. The software then automatically adjusts the EQ for optimal sound.

The install speakers also feature specially designed round, or square, grilles that can be painted to match the wall or ceiling.

The Sonos In-Wall and Sonos In-Ceiling speakers by Sonance are $599 per pair in the USA and the Sonos Outdoor by Sonance has an asking price of $799 per pair. As the Sonos Amp is $599 across the Atlantic, we think that a straight $-£ conversion is likely for the speakers too.

It's almost time to get a gazebo over the barbecue and start creating playlists.

The Sonos Amp is available for pre-order now for £599 with delivery on February 14th 2019.

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StereoNET UK's Editor and Bass playing gadget junkie. He's captained the good ship GadgetyNews for over a decade, making low jargon high tech a very handy thing. His passion for gadgets and Hi-Fi is second only to being a touring musician.

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